Akasa Air on Tuesday (August 1) announced that the carrier has added the 20th aircraft to its fleet, making it eligible to fly internationally, as the regulations require airlines to have at least 20 aircraft in their fleet to become eligible for international operations.
This development has made Akasa Air become the first airline in Asia to add the 737-8-200 variant of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet. In recent times, Akasa Air has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines.
“Bearing the registration VT YAV, the airline received the ceremonial keys to the milestone aircraft in Seattle, USA on July 28, 2023, and the aircraft arrived in Bengaluru at 9:31 hours today,” the company said in a press release.
Earlier last month, the company revealed its plans of expanding its network to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other parts of South Asia — Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, keeping single-class configuration on the routes.
0 to 20 in just 12 months
“The airline’s rapid expansion exemplifies the potential of the nation,” the release quoted Vinay Dube, the Founder and CEO of Akasa Air as saying.
“Going from zero to 20 aircraft in just 12 months is not only a record for Akasa Air but also a moment of national pride for the entire country,” he added.
Notably, Akasa Air had achieved an outstanding on-time performance in 2023. According to the statement, the airline is committed to build a customer-centric, economically sustainable, and socially responsible airline.
Launched in August 2022, the airline has already served over 4 million revenue passengers and operates over 900 weekly flights across 35 unique routes, connecting 16 Indian cities.